Prince Snow Farm

2.17.2016

Garden Planning 2016 (including seed sources and resources)

When I was 10 and had a little garden patch behind my parents garage, I never dreamed that my love of velvety coleus and fascination with sticky blossomed petunias would carry me 40 years forward and would be my guiding light.

Since we have lived here in Coastal Massachusetts (also nicknamed The Farm Coast), for the past 17 years, I have always gardened. When the kids were young we had a small vegetable garden. Years later we planted an extensive perennial garden, but when I became pregnant with my second child and had a few complications early on, I was told I had to stay away. Thus the beautiful perennial garden became overrun with weeds and a few years later, was just a memory at the bottom of the sloping hill, just before the woods.

Seven years later, in 2010, we planted a large vegetable garden in the space shown above. After hours and hours of daily weeding and no end in site, we knew we had to come up with a new plan. In 2012 we built the raised bed garden. We filled the beds with an organic compost from a local horse farm. Eventually we laid down a thick weed block on the pathways. This garden has been going strong ever since. Raised beds allow for low maintenance, easy weeding, and are easy to irrigate.

I always joke that once you get the plants established, the garden just kind of grows itself.

Cosmos Double Click Mix

As I started planning Prince Snow Farm 2016, I started thinking about expanding my flower production. I did a bit of research, built a small seed collection based on what I know grows well during hot, humid Massachusetts summers, and the plan was made!

I thought it might be helpful if I shared my seed sources and other go to resources for planning.

Vegetables: I have always bought my veggie seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This non-GMO seed company has an amazing assortment of vegetable and flower seed.

Such a pretty post! I will be planting zinnias and other heat tolerant plants. Around here gardening is also about endurance because it's not uncommon for us to have temps above 100 for days in a row with very little rainfall. :)

OH, I have given my Dad the Baker Creek Seed Catalog and I think he has ordered from them. If I am not mistaken, I think I remember that he man who owns it or his wife does the artwork for the cover. Let me know if I am right, I have things like this in my brain!One thing that I most certainly will plant will be the seeds from my Mexican sunflower from last year...the butterflies LOVED it!!

Your raised bed garden is very inspiring. I had a huge veggie garden years ago and an invasive weed took over. I dismally have not been able to get rid of it, especially when I turn the soil over, plant and start to water. Agony. So I'm thinking of raised beds this spring and your photo is spot on.

I absolutely love Renee's Garden. It helps that her seed packages are so charming! :) I do a lot of perennials but from plants and bulbs. We have a very short spring here in the Midwest so we generally don't have enough time for seeds to germinate.

Thanks for popping by JAne. Yes,we have a short spring as well. I start most seeds in the house 8-12 weeks ahead! With the exception of seeds like zinnias,cosmos, squashes, pumpkins,beans, and a few others which I find do best as direct seed. Our growing season is short but plentiful. We are blessed.

And yet I always adore your gardens. Quite honestly, this is the first year I have truly done a lot of planning.Usually picking the seeds is it. But with my change to growing lots of flower varieties, and having to start many in the house, I want to do it right! This will be a little test for me. Perhaps in another 6 years I can be a flower farmer :)

This was such a great post! For the first time ever I am going to attempt a garden by planting seeds. It is such a joy to have you join the gathering at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. You really help to elevate it to something very special.

Hi, found you through Thoughts of Home. I too have a love of gardening that stemmed from my childhood. I am counting the days until I can drop my first seeds. Thanks so much for sharing your seed ordering catalogs. Going to hop over and order some tonight. I always plant Zinnias. I save the seeds from year to year, but would like some new varieties. Also love Cosmos. Like you say, once you plant your garden does it's own thing. My Cosmos pop up randomly along with my Larkspur here and there. I love randomness in the garden!hugs,Jann

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